2024 Draft Watch

[Mofra]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

I'm not a 2km time trial believer but it does count at some point. The role he would project to play would have probably the highest running load of any position...There would want to be a significant explanation as to what went wrong for me - particularly in the top 30 when there are so many other players still available.

I get the whole 'We need a player like Hannaford" vibes but he's playing against a bunch of kids in those highlights.

Unless I was confident it was a one off, I would take Davis ahead of him...or (and I'm not really that big a fan of this player) bid on Champion who is a genuine small forward. He's annoying though.

Davis I like, but IIRC Hannaford did ok in the yo yo test?
I'd love to know what the reason behind his 2km time was, and if his VO2 max is fine we should be taking a long term view.

[mjp]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

Hey mjp, a two part question which perhaps is a tad unfair but....

1) What type of players should we be targeting with our four odd picks and

2) Can you give us some names of said players who will be around our picks?

In pervious posts you have given some insight in the type of player we need but no real names attached to those.

That's because I didn't coach in the talent pathway this year (moved to senior footy in the WAFL) so don't have the same visibility as a lot of others have...I watched a colts game every week, pretty much all the champs games and some of the u18 finals in Vic...but I'm just a bit detached from it all.

Watching highlights isn't like watching games so I'm just a bit less sure of things this year...

[mjp]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

I'm not concerned with Hannafords lack of exposure against senior players but it does provide recruiters a better assessment as some draftees switch between senior and junior football in their draft year.

Yeah - same - should have clarified.

Hannaford looks great and played a couple of nice games. My issue isn't with lack of senior footy - you don't get that in Vic and most draftees are just fine - just that this is one with a notable physical testing deficit...and it's in an area where he would be LESS likely to be challenged at u18 level.

I mean, if you're slow - it stands out no matter what level. But if your ability to get up and back repeatedly and still find space ahead of the ball is going to be relatively easy to hide, it's at u18 level where players haven't been hardened by multiple years of big pre-season work blocks.

As I said - let's find out the reason and figure it out.

[GVGjr]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

This might be a good example of why the Doctor would consider investing a future 1st to better position ourselves for Murphy Reid.

[josie]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

I know it’s a highlights package but gee Murphy Reid is a smooth operator. So balanced, poised and evasive. That left to right goal and the handpass on boundary line that he regathered-sheesh he is promising.

Would be great if we could land him. What would it take for us to be in the mix for him? So much depends upon what other clubs want from the top prospects.

He & Sanders & Richards & Bont in the middle - mouth watering.

[azabob]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

I know it’s a highlights package but gee Murphy Reid is a smooth operator. So balanced, poised and evasive. That left to right goal and the handpass on boundary line that he regathered-sheesh he is promising.

Would be great if we could land him. What would it take for us to be in the mix for him? So much depends upon what other clubs want from the top prospects.

He & Sanders & Richards & Bont in the middle - mouth watering.

There is quite a bit of debate between woofers on Murphy. Have a scroll through this thread.

[josie]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

There is quite a bit of debate between woofers on Murphy. Have a scroll through this thread.

Knocks on him appear to be one paced & not lighting speed & on short side. Looks a natural footballer though & evasive & can kick either foot. Doesn’t look slow to my eye in those highlights. Maybe he’s like Bont, seems to make time slow down when he has possession. Will be fascinated with whom we pick & if we can trade up who are we hoping to land.

[kruder]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

Knocks on him appear to be one paced & not lighting speed & on short side. Looks a natural footballer though & evasive & can kick either foot. Doesn’t look slow to my eye in those highlights. Maybe he’s like Bont, seems to make time slow down when he has possession. Will be fascinated with whom we pick & if we can trade up who are we hoping to land.

He is an interesting one Cal Twomey has him ranked 6th on talent and there no doubt he has it as you say, his awareness,composure and skills look to be elite which we do lack. If I had a top 10 pick I would be a little scared with his size and ability to seriously impact the contest a little like Farren Ray/ James Aish when they stepped up at AFL level then where do you play him? The high half forward role sounds like he has a good tank, looks to move the ball quick which I like and can hit the scoreboard but maybe a touch slow to do serious damage?

I keep going back to his videos there is definitely something there.

[GVGjr]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

The sleeper in this year's AFL Draft who could be a gun midfielder down the road

Kennedy might be a player we consider late in the draft/rookie. His 2km performance was impressive. His kicking skills off both feet is a real feature of his game. There was a squeeze on for spots at the Dragons and Kennedy had to make the most of his time in the middle.



This year’s National Draft is touted as one of the best in recent years and with that comes some potential gems in the third and fourth rounds.

Vic Metro coach Rob Harding has named midfielder Luke Kennedy as potentially one of those late-draft players who could rise up the rankings in re-drafts down the line.

The 181cm Sandringham Dragons midfielder is rated as being able to kick on both feet, clean hands and a two-way endurance runner.

SEN’s 2024 Phantom Draft has him falling to GWS at pick 63 and Harding is bullish about what he could become at AFL level.

“I will have to go into my own region (to answer this), but I have a player at the Dragons named Luke Kennedy who played senior footy as a 15-year-old, won the best and fairest in the seniors as a 16-year-old and just happened to be in a year where the top midfielders were Levi Ashcroft, Jagga Smith, Josh Smillie, Murphy Reid – they were probably preordained from 12-18 months ago,” Harding told SEN’s Sportsday.

“Luke has just played consistently great footy over the last two years. He was in the Vic Metro train-on squad that we had. Didn’t get a game unfortunately, but he has gone up against these top-end draft picks and done a really good job against them.

“He’s a classic six-foot midfielder who is clean on both sides. He’s going to get picked in the 40s or 50s, I think, and he’s going to end up being a really good player.

“There’s going to be a lot of players like that in this draft. The thing we always have to remember with these kids is that they develop at different rates.

“I have this kid Harry Armstrong who has come on in leaps and bounds this year as a key forward potentially in the top 10. Harry is not going to hit his peak for five or six years.

“The sky is the limit for Harry and he’s already a good player. What recruiters have to do is speculate a bit as to what they next few years look like and there’s going to be some gems picked in the 40s and 50s and even the rookie draft.”

The AFL Draft will take place across the 20th and 21st of November, with Richmond holding the first pick.

[Axe Man]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

Cal's final top 30 ranking before his mock draft.

Cal Twomey's Phantom Form Guide: Top draft prospects' November ranking

Players he links us to:

6. Murphy Reid
16. Taj Hotton
17. Xavier Lindsay
19. Luke Trainor
21. Jesse Dattoli
27. Oliver Hannaford
29. Christian Moraes

[mjp]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

Kennedy is so good that he didn't trust him enough to give him a game at the champs...

I know it's an issue from back in the day, but one year each team was compelled to play 35 players across the course of the champs...I remember it oh so well as I didn't exactly have 35x players at the level and had to make 12x changes to a team that had beaten SA and then got pumped by Vic Country...anyway...I hated the rule but I have always wondered why we don't try to get some more games that involve the top 60-70 prospects...I guess if the draftees weren't in their last year of school with exams to worry about we could get a bit more creative...

Back to the point - I like Kennedy fine but I'm not sure he's an AFL player...i mean, he COULD be I guess if he gets on a list but certainly not on exposed form - he's a 180cm mid who is quick-ish but...Harding is doing his job and promoting players on the fringes of his squad to try and push his name ahead of others from the Allies, VC, SA, WA who are in a similar boat.

[GVGjr]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

Cal's final top 30 ranking before his mock draft.

Cal Twomey's Phantom Form Guide: Top draft prospects' November ranking

Players he links us to:

6. Murphy Reid
16. Taj Hotton
17. Xavier Lindsay
19. Luke Trainor
21. Jesse Dattoli
27. Oliver Hannaford
29. Christian Moraes

If Cal is right regarding our interest in these player we are certainly casting a wide net.
How many of them are available at our selections is another story but there are some very tempting names for us to consider.

[hujsh]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

Reid feels a bit too much like Macrae/Daniel, two blokes that couldn't nail spots in our best 22 despite being around the prime of their careers.

[kickit2Koly]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

If it gets to pick 20 and Both Reid and Hotton are still on the board who do we pick?

[Countrydog5]

Re: 2024 Draft Watch

I'm sold on Reid. He's too good of a pure footballer to get hung up on his supposed lack of speed. The 10 minute season highlight packet above doesn't even really show him as being slow, perhaps just not a burst athlete. Libba, Bont, Cripps, Pendulbury are all great examples of thinking quick being just as important as physically quick at AFL level. He makes the right decision, hits targets, moves well in traffic and would suit our team needs well I'd say. If he's there we take him, 100%, especially with Hotton coming off the ACL and having relied on his agility as a strength prior to the injury.